Women of Sandeshkhali welcome Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Legislative Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, in North 24 Parganas on February 20. Mr. Adhikari condemned the arrest and wore a black badge.
| Photo Credit: ANI
A sub-divisional court at Basirhat in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas on Tuesday remanded a television journalist from Sandeshkhali to three days of police custody.
Santu Pan, a journalist with Republic TV was arrested from Sandeshkhali on Monday evening. The arrest was caught live on television as the journalist was dragged from Sandeshkhali ferry ghat.
Also Read | In Sandeshkhali, Sikh IPS officer alleges BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari called him ‘Khalistani’
The arrest has drawn widespread condemnation not only from the political parties in the Opposition but also from Editor’s Guild and Press Club Kolkata. “The Editors Guild calls on the administration in West Bengal to conduct a speedy inquiry and ensure that no injustice is done to Pan. The government must also do everything it can to protect freedom of the press,” a statement by Editors Guild said.
Press Club of Kolkata also said the incident had left the press club worried. “We demand his release”. A statement by the press body said the specific allegation against the journalist was “subject to investigations” but it “protests the arrest of a journalist on duty”.
Additional Director General of Police, South Bengal Supratim Sarkar, said that the journalist was arrested after the police received a complaint and did a preliminary inquiry.
“After an initial inquiry and necessary evidence, when we became certain that this person is the accused them only, we arrested him. The complainant, a woman, had made a statement before the Magistrate Under Section 144 of CrPC and after taking into account the proceeding, the court granted three days police custody to the accused journalist,” Mr. Sarkar said.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also condemned the arrest and wore a black badge. “I have blacked out my profile picture on my social media handles for 24 hours, in solidarity with Republic Bangla Journalist Santu Pan, who has been arrested by the Mamata Police for extensively and relentlessly reporting the horrific atrocities on the Women of Sandeshkhali. I condemn this brazen attempt of the Mamata Govt to stifle the Media,” Mr. Adhikari said on social media.